Mass Dharna at Tiranga Park in support of All India Strike

PRESS STATEMENT

The Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association, Andaman and Nicobar Islands organized Mass Dharna and Mass Demonstration throughout the Andaman and Nicobar Islands today (12.12.2012) in support of the  All India strike by central government employees on the 15-point demands.  At Port Blair,  a daylong Mass Dharna  was  held at Tiranga Park today (12.12.2012) from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. in which a large number of government employees and workers participated.  Shri B. Chandrachoodan, General Secretary, CITU A & N State Committee inaugurated the Mass Dharna.

In the evening a largely-attended public meeting was held at the same venue.  Addressing the public meeting, Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary of the Association demanded that the New Pension Scheme should be extended to the Members of Parliament also if the Parliament adopts the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill which is pending before the Parliament and which seeks taking away the statutory pension to government employees and introducing the contributory New Pension Scheme.  He demanded that the ban on creation of posts should be removed by the central government so that adequate posts can be created for regularization of all the daily-rated mazdoors and contract employees working in various departments like Forest, Transport, etc. under the Administration.  Shri Sadanand Rai, Vice President presided over the meeting while Shri TS Sreekumar, Asst. General Secretary, Shri Anand Raj, Secretary, Secretariat Sub-Committee, Shri GP Mondal,  Organising Secretary and Shri Biswanath Mondal, Joint Secretary also spoke.   The Mass Dharna was led by Shri DS Clement Steephen, Finance Secretary,  Shri Venkat Rama Rao, Shri SL Vinjit and Shri Jayaraj. 

          At Diglipur, Evening Dharna was held today which was led by Shri PJ Eappen and Shri  Akbar Ali of NGOs’ Association and Shri S. Asokan of BKU.

          At Mayabunder, Evening Dharna was held in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office  in which  more than 150 government employees including a large number of women employees participated which was  led by Shri P. Jay Murthy, Vice President, Shri Jagat Ram, Secretary and Smt Rekha Sharma, Joint Secretary. 

          At Billiground, a day-long Mass Dharna was held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. which was followed by a largely-attended public meeting.  Shri BP Ray presided over the meeting while Shri S. Bawali, Vice President, Shri Mritunjay Biswas, Secretary, Shri Prasanjit and Shri SR Mirdha addressed the public meeting. 

          At Rangat, an Evening Dharna was held at Nimbutala Jetty in which a large number of workers of Electricity Department attended.  Shri  Chandran led the  programe. 

          At Little Andaman, an Evening Dharna was held in front of the Tehsil Office, Hut Bay.  Smt Nasreen Begum, Vice President and Shri Nookaraju, Secretary, Little Andaman Branch addressed the gathering.  

          The 15-point  demand included  (1) setting up of 7^th Central Pay Commission and revision of  wages of central government employees after every 5 years  (2)  merger of  50%  DA with Pay  (3) to scrap the New Pension Scheme  (4) to lift the ban on creation of posts, etc.